Digital Inclusion to promote Social Inclusion

Digital Inclusion to promote Social Inclusion Marcelo Franco Porto School of Engineering Federal University of Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte, Brazil [email protected] Renata Maria Abrantes Baracho School of Information Science Federal University of Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte, Brazil [email protected] Abstract – This research analyzes the methodology and the results obtained in the Digital Inclusion Program of the community of Alto Paraopeba aiming the social inclusion of participants. The program had begun in 2008 at Campus Alto Paraopeba - Federal University of São João del Rei. It comprises a team of students, teachers and technicians from the University with support from Pro-Deanship at UFSJ. In 2010, it was contemplated by the Support Program for University Extension of MEC (Ministry of Education and Culture). This study evaluated a group of 153 people in the community who participated in the program to identify the motivating factors for learning and the parameters that indicate the level of knowledge attained and consequently knowledge generation and social inclusion. The program aims to promote digital inclusion of communities in the region to enable access to information technology to people who lack these resources and can´t reach individually. The program has UFSJ's partnership with the municipalities of Ouro Branco, Congonhas and Conselheiro Lafaiete (municipalities of Minas Gerais). Activities include attendance at lectures, development and submission of practical work. The first stage was to survey and mapping of the assist social sites. The second stage of this research described the disclosure of the program and the selection of participants in the community. The third step was the observation of the meetings of the digital inclusion program in the laboratories of UFSJ to monitor the development of activities. The fourth was performed using quantitative methods for monitoring the participants. The questionnaires were applied in three different stages: beginning, middle and end. The fifth stage used a qualitative analysis. It was performed through interviews, aiming to obtain the views of participants and a significant set of discursive material. Through the questionnaires it was possible to analyze the development of participants as well as evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The results proved the effectiveness of the program that may say that 100% of participants achieved a knowledge increase significant to the improvement of their professional or personal. Thus, we conclude stressing the importance of digital inclusion initiatives to achieve social inclusion.1 Keywords: Digital inclusion, education, information retrieval, spatial analysis. 1 information access, This work is partially supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), Governo do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brazil, Rua Raul Pompéia, no101 - São Pedro, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30.330080, Brazil. Marcello Martins Soares Cristiano Maciel da Silva School of Engineering Federal University São João del Rei Ouro Branco, Brazil [email protected] I. INTRODUCTION Considering that digital inclusion is considered a way of generating knowledge, this paper makes a theoretical research and evaluates the performance of a digital inclusion program. Digital inclusion comprises informational literacy with a focus on information technology, ie, the ability to operate and communicate from computers; understand the operation of the equipment, its programs and applications; produce, organize, manipulate and access information, solve problems through the use of technology, use of computational resources to achieve social inclusion. This study evaluates the efficiency of the Digital Inclusion Program - PID developed at Universidade Federal de São João del Rei - UFSJ, Campus Alto Paraopeba - CAP, Minas Gerais/Brazil, seeking to identify the insertion vision of methods that make use of them, and how to deployment, planning, methodology and achievements in promoting digital inclusion of community participants. The Digital Inclusion Program is an initiative to permit the community getting knowledge through the use of computational resources, showing the impact it has on the lives of people. Was analyzed a group of 153 people who attended the Digital Inclusion Program since its inception in 2008. Participants were selected through a partnership from UFSJ and local governments of Ouro Branco, Congonhas and Conselheiro Lafaiete, in addition to direct contact with assistential entities in community. The criteria used for selection of the participants were surveys of the level of utilization of computing resources and access to information. This process began with the lifting of the parameters motivators for participation and then proceeded to define criteria to measure the performance of the use of computational resources, access to information and use of social networks. Through the teaching of information technologies was promoted professional training and personal development. There was an increase of relations between the academic community and the local community where UFSJ could interconnect their teaching and research activities with the demands of its region. As a byproduct, was designed a geographic information system that contains the spatial locations of assistential entities working in the cities and the questionnaires applied to communities. This system had supported the process of exploring and selecting new participants from the spatial analysis of the digital divide in the city. Finally, we could evaluate the training of local teachers as multipliers and disseminators of information by technological means. To make the analysis of program performance, three questionnaires were applied in different times, beginning, middle and end of each group. By means of questionnaires could define the level of knowledge achieved by the participants reaching up to 97% efficacy in performing basic tasks. Through research we can conclude that digital inclusion covers the use of technological resources to begin or deepen the integration of the individual in the information society. Includes the use of computing resources providing access to information and use of resources efficiently generating knowledge and consequently more personal and professional opportunities for participants. II. LITERATURE REVIEW This section of the survey is a survey and discussion of terms that are tangent to digital inclusion and social inclusion and education, access to information; digital divide; policies and information society, and informational competency. SOCIAL INCLUSION AND EDUCATION The term inclusion is considered as an established process within a wider society that seeks to satisfy requirements related to quality of life, human development, income autonomy, equal rights and opportunities for individuals and groups that in some stage of their life are at a disadvantage with relation to other members of society [1]. The social education of the population through governmental actions is essential for the development of citizenship, evolution of public management and real implementation of social inclusion. Facilitate social inclusion is the responsibility of the government, and demand from the State quality management required for social development, it is the responsibility of the citizen [2]. Having access to information technology facilitates the retrieval of information and, consequently, new job opportunities, income, quality education and communication , having as rule the potentiation of opportunities in seek and use knowledge. But the availability is not inclusive, because there is the requirement for new skills to have mastery of informational networks. And requires different formation and higher than the industrial era required besides demanding capacity for reflection and synthesis. The challenge for access and inclusion begins with the dependence on technological infrastructure and its sustaining, but, above all, the ability to extract contents from computers and other technical devices, transforming it into knowledge, ie, transformation of information in use [3]. INFORMATION ACCESS The ability to access and use of information has been consolidated as the most important element in the economic and social development, as well as requisite to citizenship. The goal of democratizing access to information, is to promote the development of the individual, his group and society broadly [4]. The need for dissemination of knowledge, with a view to the common welfare directs studies for understanding the process of knowledge transfer. The information becomes a factor that relates the knowledge with human development, by virtue of the emergence of new technological models [5]. Nowadays, the information becomes newest source of wealth and power. It is the emergence of a new global informational economy made possible by the development of technologies that have transformed the world and by creation of information networks that can bring many benefits [6]. It is within this focus that issues concerning to knowledge and access to information have expressive relevance gain. The big challenge is to promote a proper management that meets the users involved, promoting competitive advantage that can add value, develop and differentiate [7]. The concept of informational appropriation in the sense of capacitation in information technology became popular and indicated the beginning of the processes around the global need of digital inclusion. This new reality shows us the need to prepare both the professional as the individual to appropriate of the instruments of access to information, with an emphasis on communications infrastructure and the acquisition of skills in using computers and the Internet [8]. It is through access to information that the citizen has conditions to know and fulfill their duties as well as understand and claim their rights. Only with information, individuals can contribute, participate and take their place in society, as well as accompany, evaluate and question the actions of the state in order to promote the common good [9]. DIGITAL EXCLUSION The importance of efforts to combat the digital divide will be determined by the ability to include other forms of inequality. Faced with this increasing complexity, new challenges are presented to formulators of public policies. What is at stake is access, the possibility to navigate the space of flows and interact on information networks. Is the role of the state devote special attention to the incorporation of social groups disadvantaged and low-income to the information society [10]. Digital inclusion, from the point of view of a community means broadening technologies to processes that contribute to the strengthening of its economic activities, their organizational skills, educational level and self-esteem of its members, their communication with other groups, their entities and local services and their quality of life [11]. In all discussion on the digital divide in Brazil, it is widely assumed the fact that people do not use information technology and communication (ITC) due to impediments economic, social, cultural, educational or technological [7]. The information technology and communication (ITC) brings the possibility of democratization and universalisation of information with great potential to decrease social exclusion, although paradoxically it have produced in undeveloped countries a new type of exclusion, digital. That is, a new social division is placed, those which have monopoly of thought, the transformation of information into knowledge and those who are excluded from this process to be dependent on specific competences [12]. III. METHODOLOGY In the first stage of the research was carried out the mapping of active assistential communities in Ouro Branco / MG and the lifting of computational resources and access to information in these entities. This mapping was done by means of questionnaires to the community with support of the municipality of Ouro Branco for determining and have access to assistential entities to be researched. Was requested to a digital map of the city and in an environment of GIS, the assistential entities were registered and then generated a database with the information corresponding to each entity. As a result we obtained the Assistential Entities Map of the City of Ouro Branco - MG (Fig. 1). In the enlarged detail of a portion of the map (Fig. 2), the red circles identify the entities and, the inside number correspond to the index in database. After confection the map and database, a questionnaire was designed and applied to all entities in the database. The questionnaire sought to raise the following data: person responsible for entity; administrative information of the entity; profile of persons attended by the entity; infrastructure, qualification, characteristics of special needs persons met. Figure 1. Map of Assistance Entities of Ouro Branco – MG / Brazil From a spatial analysis of the data was elaborated a thematic map of the digital exclusion the city of Ouro Branco that guided the actions related to the selection of participants to the digital inclusion program of the CAP / UFSJ by defining the assistential entities that would be candidates for participation in the program. Second questionnaire was drawn up and this was applied to beneficiaries of the selected entities. About the new database was developed a search, according to demand, of potential candidates for the extension program "Digital Inclusion" of Campus Alto Paraopeba/UFSJ. Figure 2. Detail of Map of Assistance Entities of Ouro Branco – MG / Brazil The second stage of the research constituted of the selection of participants occurred in two ways. One group of participants was selected from the first phase of the research involved the analysis of thematic map and questionnaires applied to communities. Another group of participants was selected through a partnership of UFSJ with the municipalities Ouro Branco, Congonhas and Conselheiro Lafaiete from the Alto Paraopeba region, involving officials of the respective municipalities. This selection was performed by municipalities which applied a questionnaire in order to identify personal characteristics, professional level of computational knowledge and availability of staff. The third stage of the research included monitoring the development of the digital inclusion program by participating in some meetings. We evaluated the focus of activity of the program, defined according to the profile of the group that were established according to the list of candidates and the needs presented. The focus could be: officials from municipalities, public school teachers, seniors, rural residents, high school students, people to be included in the labor market, those seeking job training. Was evaluated the performance of the team and the proposed content for each group. The digital inclusion program was developed for community participation in the meetings at UFSJ computer lab, equipped with 30 (thirty) computers connected to the internet and multimedia projector. The program team was composed of faculty, students (fellow of the extension program and activity UFSJ, interns SIAPE), UFSJ technicians, students and scholars of the Institutional Program of Scientific Initiation Junior (PIBIC Junior / FAPEMIG). The fourth step was performed by quantitative methods, in which were applied and evaluated three questionnaires at different times of the meetings: beginning, middle and end. The first of these questionnaires addressed the personal and professional characteristics, bearing in consideration the needs and expectations of the participants in the preparation of contents to be developed. Furthermore, other data were collected as education level, place of access to computers; reason for interest and expectations; performance level on the computer, access and frequency of use of information technologies. The second questionnaire assessed the development of activities, participants' perceptions regarding the quality of the teaching material, the capacity of explanation of the instructors, the evaluation about their own learning and possible performance improve at work and in personal life and in the frequency of use of information technology. The third questionnaire approached the following: quality of teaching materials; explanation capacity of instructors; quality of learning; possible growth in relation to performance on the computer, access and frequency of use of information technologies, possible improves in performance job; possible financial rise; motivation to continue professional training. The fifth stage of the research was characterized by a qualitative analysis, mainly by non statistical mode of analyze, interpret and present data. Was conducted through interviews aiming to recover the opinion of the participants and obtain a significant set of discursive materials. IV. RESULTS Of the 179 participants who started, 153 completed the program, so the utilization rate was 85%. These 153 people were divided into six class to obtain better monitoring and control during the course. By the methods used, it was possible to make quantitative and qualitative analysis regarding the performance of 153 participants. Through surveys conducted during the course, 77% of participants felt disadvantaged at work because they not knew how access the computer and internet. At the end, 94% of participants claim they have used what they learned and 97% were using the Internet frequently. Then was analyzed for which purposes these people were using the internet. The Graphic 1 presents these data in detail, by highlighting that 49% of participants use the Internet to do research or academic appointments, seeking to perform certain tasks with greater efficiency and practicality. Figure 3. UFSJ Participants during one of the meetings in UFSJ The Digital Inclusion Program Alto Paraopeba began in 2008 through the initiative of a group of teachers from UFSJ as an extension project. Developed in the community of Alto Paraopeba counts with the partnership the municipalities of Ouro Branco, Congonhas and Conselheiro Lafaiete. Currently consists of a teacher´s team of UFSJ and UFMG, extension students, undergraduates and technicians. In 2010, it was contemplated by the Support Program for University Extension of MEC - Ministry of Education and Culture. Until now had the participation of 180 community people. Currently has 60 meetings participants. The program has generated publications with different approaches. The Digital Inclusion Program aims to help community members obtain knowledge in computational resources to use promoting different applications. Participants are selected through questionnaires and communities mappings in the region. Through mapping is done the identification of the regions with higher demand for the program. Another way to selecting is by partnering with the city halls when were selected officials who had personal or professional interest to participate. The questionnaires used in the selection had defined motivators parameters and quantify the use of computational resources of each participant. The meetings are held weekly and each class lasts for one semester. Graphic 1 – Need to use the Internet. Graphic 2 presents the motivators that students had to participate in the "Digital Inclusion Program". According to these data, a significant proportion of participants (43.24%) were has a goal seeking knowledge itself through the use of Technologies. In the sequel, 42.08% of participants sought, by learning technologies, improvements in employment or work. A smaller amount, 12.84% of the participants, sought the course to become knowledge multipliers, p. ex., such as participating in social programs. Finally 1.85% of the course participants sought to be free. The participants showed interest in the program, 95% found that computer became learning more interesting, 97% claim that this program served as a motivation to make new professionalizing courses. Considering these questionnaires analysis and surveys , is possible to conclude that the program achieves those goals. Baracho (2010) shows in detail the Inclusion Program Alto Paraopeba - MG with methodology and results. Graphic 2 – Reason for interest in the course Was realized analyses about schooling of the participants, seeking to demonstrate the degree of heterogeneity that the program intends. Graphic 3 shows the education level of the participants. This point of the survey, according to data from Graphic 3, shows that the "Digital Inclusion Program" meets various social and professional levels with different foci, highlighting 28.30% of the participants with a college degree and 14.50% with incomplete elementary school. TABLE 1 Performance on the computer Activities that can do Turning on and off the computer Create a folder Move contents to folder Delete contents of a folder Open programs Set date and time Copy files (cd / pen drive) Typing and edit text Create a table Edit an image Print a file Accessing websites Search content on the Internet copy content from the internet Create an e-mail Access a e-mail Read, write and send a e-mail Attach files to an e-mail Use presentation programs Create a spreadsheet Create charts Using formulas and functions Formatting Spreadsheet 1º Quest % 91,76 2º Quest % 97,50 3º Quest % 100 50,53 95,17 98,63 34,99 78,61 98,63 50,56 76,48 98,33 45,54 82,46 98,42 29,45 79,06 88,02 28,98 46,57 82,90 48,58 85,97 97,67 20,87 78,65 93,77 14,83 73,84 92,92 47,55 70,26 89,16 55,51 76,28 96,13 47,8 75,89 97,83 27,41 51,53 93,93 13,51 38,49 81,08 42,75 64,98 92,39 40,17 70,39 88,13 18,54 45,60 71,03 8,22 52,28 92,91 4,96 21.47 87,65 3,08 18,42 61,87 6,27 16,55 80,53 13,04 14,97 57,62 Graphic 3 – Schooling of the participants According to the proposed methodology, two interviews were realized with the participants. The first, held at the beginning of the course, aimed to analyze the expectations and needs of the students regarding the use of information technologies. The participant Silvana Maria Lucas Farias, teacher, at begin the course made the following argument: "Being digitally included is able to apply information technologies in life and at work. My expectations about the course is to be a more informed and independent person. I hope to learn computational techniques to work more efficiently". The second interview, applied at the end of the course, have aimed to rescue the opinion and participation of students, making possible recommendations for the best development of the program. The participant Daiana dos Santos, at completing the course, made the following statement: "The course was very good, the topics presented attended all my expectations. Furthermore, this digital inclusion program served as a motivation to do other professionalizing courses. I hope apply the knowledge gained providing a good formation and thus a better future. The "Digital Inclusion Program" have professional training and personal development. promoting The Graphic 4 shows that of the 153 people who participated in the program, 52% claimed to have achieved an increase in pay, applying the knowledge acquired. The data in Table 1 were obtained by applying three questionnaires at different times: at the beginning, middle and end of program. Basic informatics functions were addressed to evaluate the performance of the participants on computer use. Graphic 4 – Remuneration improving The Graphic 5 shows the performance of the participants with the average of the questionnaires. personal. The participants showed interest in the program, 95% found that the computational resources become learning more interesting. 97% claim that this program served as a motivation to make new professionalizing courses (Graphic 6). The Digital Inclusion Program has great relevance, presents concrete results in order to provide access to information technology to most of the population that does not have those means and not reach individually. REFERENCES [1] Graphic 5 – Mean performance in computer According to these data, at the beginning of the program the class could play 32.39% of computer activities. At the end of the process, the evaluation of third questionnaire, the average performance of the computer increased to 89%. This point of the research confirmed the effectiveness of the program. Graphic 6 – Motivation to make new professionalizing courses. V. CONCLUSION Through research we can conclude that digital inclusion covers the use of technological resources to begin or deepen the insertion of the individual in the information society. Includes the use of computational resources propitiating access to information and use of resources efficiently, generating knowledge and, consequently more personal opportunities and professional for participants. According to the analysis of the results it was possible to concluded that the program has achieved its objectives, meeting the expectations of the participants. It can be affirmed that 100% of participants achieved a significant knowledge in informatics to improve their professional performance or View publication stats Passerino, L. M.; Montardo, S. P. Inclusão social via acessibilidade digital: Proposta de inclusão digital para Pessoas com Necessidades Especiais. XI Colóquio Internacional sobre a Escola Latino Americana de Comunicação. Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, de 7 a 9 de maio de 2007. [2] Calderon, H. Inclusão social. VIII Congreso Internacional del CLAD sobre la Reforma del Estado y de la Administración Pública, Panamá, 28-31 Oct. 2003. 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